A view from upstairs at Flame. Ed Peaco/For the News-Leader

Mike Jalili sets very high standards for the meat he buys for Flame Steakhouse and Wine Bar. After seven weeks of aging and a few minutes in the broiler, the steak that arrives at the table will deliver an experience that is clearly exceptional.

The beef he acquires comes only from top-quality Midwestern cows, he said. Flame wet-ages steaks for 21 days then dry-ages them for 28 days, Jalili said. He and his family also own Touch.

“We have a dry aging room downstairs that requires special attention. That room has to be just above freezing with 50 percent humidity,” he said. “We put Himalayan salt in there to help the flavor.”

Air always must be circulating around the meat; the cuts never touch each other. By the end of the aging processes, through shrinking and trimming, the size of the steaks is reduced by 40 percent. “Shrinking adds amazing flavor to the steak,” he said.

In the kitchen, the steaks broil at 1,500 degrees with seasonings of paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a touch of cayenne. The steaks are brushed with sage butter before they head to the table.

Flame also specializes in top-quality seafood, including Copper River salmon when in season and hand-selected tuna, as well as a raw bar, Jalili said.

“Quality is huge with me at this restaurant. If it doesn’t meet my expectations for quality, we do not buy it,” he said. “We do pay a price for quality, but quality is the bottom line for everything we do here. Quality and perfection.”

Jalili arranged a meal from appetizer through dessert.

Steamed mussels ($12.75) arranged in and around a bread bowl with garlic tarragon beurre blanc. The mussels, from northeastern Canada, had a smooth, mellow essence, and the sauce was a tangy accompaniment.

Dry aged 24-ounce Porterhouse($42.75): Broiled to a firm outside with a juicy inside evenly across the substantial cut. As Jalili promised, the flavor was “amazing.” This amazing flavor was not an intense or powerful flavor that makes you want to gorge. The flavor was an amazingly refined flavor of beef that makes you want to savor each bite. And it’s not just the flavor; it’s also the texture, amazingly tender and yielding. The salt from the aging process was evident, along with a hint of garlic from the seasonings.

(Page 2 of 2)

Asparagus ($6) and lobster macaroni and cheese ($12.75) accompanied the steak. The slightly crunchy asparagus had a lemony dressing. The lobster dish with shell pasta was especially cheesy with five kinds of cheese — cheddar, parmesan, colby, jack and manchego from Spain. Sherry and shallots imparted a slight sweetness. Each pasta shell encased a morsel of lobster.

White and dark Belgian chocolate mousse, pluscheesecake and fresh strawberry tree ($12): Enjoy the airy layers of mousse with strawberries, and pluck some goodies from this cleverly crafted tree with leaves of mint. Bite into one of the chocolate-covered cubes of cheesecake. The cheesecake melts away, and the chocolate remains to be savored.